As the podcasts have quickly become my favorite listening past time, I thought I'd post a question here. BTW, there is nothing better than going on an hour bike ride and catching up on shows that I have missed (which have been...unfortunatly...all of them).

I'm going to do a sump at home first in my 20 gallon acrylic, as a test run before I put a sump in at school. Is there really a quality difference in bulkhead fittings? Specifically I'm looking on e-bay. Item number: 300006673440

http://cgi.ebay.com/10-x1-Bulkhead-Fitting-for-aquarium-pond-Filter-Reef_W0QQitemZ300006673440QQihZ020QQcategoryZ46310 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem




This might be a good time to talk about the quality of other items as well. Test kits, hydrometers/refractometers, power heads, skimmers. Though that might frustrate some of the vendors. I know I have purchased one really BAD skimmer. Well, no, I purchased a really bad power head that thought it was a really bad skimmer.

-Scott
Grand Rapids, MI

From my experience a bulkhead is a bulkhead. Forget a hydrometer get a refractometer. I purchased mine off of ebay and it works great and I only paid $28.http://cgi.ebay.com/Salinity-Salt-Refractometer-Aquarium-Hydrometer-ATC_W0QQitemZ120008816429QQihZ002QQcategoryZ11876Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I just bought a seio powerhead and so far it works like a tunze and the corals Love it. As for skimmers there are many great ones out there but the question is what you are looking for in a skimmer. Are you looking for an external, hang on the back, in sump. As for hang on the back or external I have had good luck with Aquac skimmers. For in sump I like euro reef. I have heard great things about ASM which to my understandings is a cheaper made version of the euroreef. This forum is great place to get information on products from the people who use them. I hope this helps.

I've bought a lot of bulkheads at different times, on eBay. IMO there's not a big difference in quality. Probably an obvious statement but, just make sure that the listing is for the type you want (slip x slip, slip x thread, or thread x thread.) If it doesn't say, then email and ask. That looks like a decent deal for ten bulkheads.

BTW, Welcome to Talkingreef!!!

Thanks JR. I think I have a fairly good handle on products. For the sump(s) I'm going to make, I was considering a cheaper Quiet One Aquarium Pump 1200. I think I'm going to spend twice the money though on Mag2's. I don't know the quiet brand and havn't read a lot for or against. And the mag 2's are quiet, tested and threaded on both ends, I feel that's a plus.

I'm going to seriously consider the refractometer. That's a GREAT price. Thanks for the URL. I don't even remember the name of the first "skimmer" I got. What a cheap piece.... I had a seaclone at school, and a remora at home. They both performed the same afer the modifications to the seaclone. Honestly, till it pumped 5 gallons of water on the floor, I think I liked it better.

I've been learning off and on for the last 3 years now. Had a 20, 55, 72 gallon so far. Thinking about doing a nano. We'll see. Time the last year at school was a MAJOR issue. I've got a bit of knowledge under my belt, but there's so much to learn. I think I get something out of every podcast. (seriously, not trying to brown nose) I think I've listened to a third of the episodes so far. I'll have the rest done by the end of the month.

LOVE IT.

Correct me if I'm wrong. But with the 1" slip/slip, I can just use PVC solvent and glue in a PVC pipe.

you can but be carefull the pvc glue could heat up the buldhead and then make the slip in opening bigger. if you use just alittle you shouldnt have any problem. just make sure it dries good..

and welcome to TR :)

I have never owned a quiteone pump personaly but I know my LFS Guy hates them. I never asked why because over the past 9 years he has yet to steer me wrong. I own a mag9.5 and a 5. I never had trouble with eather of them and I really abuse them.

fifteen years ago, Quiet 1 was one of the best pumps made. about 5 years ago, they change design and maufacturing and it became a product i would not use anymore.

welcome chem1fun.
haven;t seen u around the traps before. hope u enjoy ur stay with us!

Thanks for the welcome all. I've been on RC and MichiganReefers for a while. But as long a Rob keeps broadcasting, I'll stick around here. Great forum, GREAT service.

you can but be carefull the pvc glue could heat up the buldhead and then make the slip in opening bigger. if you use just alittle you shouldnt have any problem. just make sure it dries good..Say what??? I'm a retired pipe-fitter and have glued literally thousands of PVC fillings, hundreds of them bulkhead fittings. Here is a pic of the piping for my 135 I set up 4 months ago.

http://www.theculturedreef.com/135gal-plumbing.jpg

PVC glue doesn't generate heat in the process of sealing the joint. The most important rules in gluing PVC are;

1. Clean both the male and female parts with PVC cleaner/solvent before applying glue.
2. Make sure you have measured the length of pipe needed correctly. Once glued there's no going back.
3. When inserting the pipe into the fitting turn the joint 1/4 turn to spread the glue. You have to give a little thought to this one when aligning up various fittings. Once set there is no adjustment as with a screwed joint.
4. When you have turned the pipe and fitting the 1/4 turn and bottomed out the pipe into the fitting you must HOLD the joint together for about 15 seconds. If you don't hold them together they will spread out and your measured length will have grown 1/4 to 1/2" or more. The result will be, besides a week joint, a wrong finished length from what you expected.
5. When piping multiple joints close to each other make sure you have a picture in your mind, or better yet a drawing of what the finished structure is going to look like.

Aligning pipe fittings and valves to look clean and professional isn't an accident. It takes forethought and planning. Here's what I mean.......

http://www.theculturedreef.com/Plumbing-3.jpg

I drew out this piping system before ever cutting the first pipe. Then when gluing one tee onto the next tee I had to align them. In gluing remember the 1/4 turn. You have to push the fitting and pipe together kitty-wompous (1/4 turn) and then align them. Is this 1/4 turn absolutely necessary? Not really. But it assures spreading the glue evenly which is important for a leak proof joint. Learn this simple technique and you can be assured of a quality finished product. The last thing you want is a leak once you fill with water, especially if you are married or doing an installation in someone's home.

Hope this helps.

Dick

i was talking mainly about two bulkheads on the cpr overflow i glued about three days ago. the bulk head started to melt.. and there is another cpr overflow at the LFS that you can clearly see the melting action..

here is a picture not sure if you can see it or not. ill try and get a better one

click here (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i126/wwest2/cpr.jpg)

OK, I see two potential areas, not clearly though, you are talking about. Are you talking about at the bottom of the bulkhead fitting where, in the picture, it looks purple or up at the acrylic where it looks clear but melted?

ok its down by the purple. just above the purple there is a black spot then the fitting that black spot is where is was melting. ill try and get a better picture tonight.